Stolen
by Aerieada
Summary: The case itself is simple - magic is being stolen. That needs to stop. But add conflicting emotions, a lurking enemy and an unexpected offer that could change multiple lives forever and you've got a problem.
1. A Vacationing Elf is a Dangerous Elf

Chapter 1

"Holly?" Foaly said into the trans-communicator, hands and hooves shaking. _Please, please, please, please. . ._

"_D'Arvit!_" The elf on the other end yelled. "Foaly, do the words 'officer on leave' mean anything to you? This is the fourth time you've interrupted my holiday for some frivolous and completely grueling task that you could not spare anyone else to do. Well, I'm not standing for it this time! I refuse! I don't want to have any contact whatsoever with you until the next full moon. _Do you understand me?!!"_

"Holly, Holly, calm down, please. Hit me later if you really have to. But I seriously need you here this time. I'm begging you. Hear me out."

This was certainly unexpected. She had been waiting for Foaly whining, then being able to scream at him, and then having the right to slam the communicator into the wall. This was different. Quite disappointing, actually.

"Fine. You have two minutes to convince me."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Holly! Before I say anything else, I want you to keep an open mind and remember that you have a service to the People—"

"Clock is ticking, pony. Get to the point."

"Well, it seems as if there has been a certain pixie wandering around—"

"This sounds suspiciously like one of your other missions, Foaly."

"You owe me five seconds for that. Anyway, he's wandering around without his magic—"

"Aboveground. Right? Well, I'm losing interest fast. So you've got thirty seconds to add a plot twist before I kill this gadget."

"What? Holly, that's not fair. You cheated me two and a half min—"

"Twenty-five seconds."

"Okay, okay. Well, like I said . . . there's this magic-less pixie and we've run through all the tests but we can't seem to get his powers back no matter what and there's only one being without magic smart enough to figure out how to execute what seems to be a theft of his magic's core and—"

"And that being is Artemis Fowl." Muting her microphone, Holly leaned back on a cushion and sighed. And inhaled. And sighed again. Then she sat back up and pressed the blue "Speak" button.

"I still don't see how any of this pertains to me in particular." She stated coolly, a complete opposite of her reaction seconds before.

"Oh, stop it, Holly. You and both know _exactly _why this pertains to you. Besides, you were the one who was all 'Arty's gone good'. You have to take responsibility for what you say, you know."

Holly narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting at, carrot-breath?"

"All I'm saying is that if the primary advocate for a certain Mud Boy's keeping of his memories turns out to be wrong and said Mud Boy wreaks havoc on Haven _because _of his keeping of his memories . . . well, that primary advocate could be in a heck lot of trouble."

"Foaly . . . Are you _blackmailing _me?!"  
"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Holly. Sorry. It would have been so much easier if you'd just agreed."

He got no response but a skittering noise and a vague, fading static.

* * *

Foaly was cowering behind a thick sheet of laser-proof protection by the time Holly got there. Looking bashful, he gestured towards a new communicator sitting on a stark white desk. She snatched it up and resisted the urge to demolish it like she did the last one.

"Hi, Holly," Foaly squeaked. "This is a secure line, so we won't be overheard—"

"Oh, of course not!" Holly's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Wouldn't want _anyone_ knowing what a deceptive lowlife you are."

"Well, that too," Foaly complied. "But mostly it's for security reasons. If people knew they might permanently lose their magic to the Mud Boy genius that's been dominating the headlines for the last three years there might a bit of mass hysteria."

"We don't _know_ that it's _Artemis!_" Holly snapped, perhaps a bit too harshly. For some strange reason that comment pricked at Holly's already high-strung nerves. "And we don't know that it's permanent," she added quickly in an effort to dilute her previous tone.

But Foaly had already started snickering, his earlier terror long forgotten. "A little protective, are we?" he chortled.

Holly wanted to squish that office and the stupid cachinnating creature inside of it, laser-proof or not.

_He's got a point, though, _a small part of her remarked. _Why __**are **__you so upset, anyway?_

"Holly? You getting all this?"

"What?" Holly asked, lost in her own thoughts.

"I said that you need to get over to the Manor and— oh, look! Somebody's calling your Arty! Let's see. . . Minerva Paradizo? Isn't that the girl who kidnapped Number One?"

"I need to go to the Manor?" Holly was still catching up to the torrent of Foaly's words. "And he is _not_ 'my Arty'—did you say you tapped his lines? How did he not notice—Wait, _Minerva's _calling him? Why is she—?"

"Shut up and listen," Foaly stated simply. "I'm sending you this call and taping it too, in case we need it later. Here it is."

**Beep**

**Beep**

**Beep**

**A: Fowl Manor, resident speaking.**

**M: Enough with the formalities, Artemis. I know that you knew who I was before you had gone to get the phone. Is this line secure?**

**A: Perfectly.**

Foaly suppressed a snort.

**M: Good. Because I'm about to tell you some intelligence rated high above top secret.**

**A: I'm no stranger to that.**

**M: I meant above top secret above the ground and under.**

**A: (sharp intake of breath) I see.**

**M: I can't leave any record of this. Stop taping me, Artemis.**

**A: Of course.**

**(Short silence)**

**M: **_**Stop taping me, Artemis!**_

**A: Oh, very well. Although it pains me greatly to miss minutes of your **_**exquisite**_** voice, Minerva.**

**(Another silence)**

**M: I-ah-that is to say, I have come across some extraordinary information.**

Even though she should have been paying very close attention at Minerva's next words, Holly was more preoccupied with the short exchange before. Artemis could be quite the charmer when he wanted to. Simply beguiling.

_He might've meant what he said about her voice, you know. Minerva seemed disarmed by it. She's a genius too, so she wouldn't be easy to fool. She wouldn't normally stutter either. So there was doubtless some truth to the comment. Moreover, Minerva didn't take the perfect chance to be sarcastic. The feelings are probably mutual. Does that bother you much, Holly?_

Holly would've groaned if she wasn't with Foaly. It was her pessimistic side back again.

_Pessimistic, Holly? Really? How interesting. And why would Artemis and Minerva being interested in each other be such a bad thing? If I'm a pessimist, then the logic I present must be a worst-case scenario. Why do you think that the two of them together is a worst-case scenario?_

Holly decided she would rather pay attention to the phone conversation. Because it was so important, of course, and not to get away from this annoying little voice. Not at all.

She tried listening, but there was just silence.

"Why isn't there any sound, Foaly?"

"Because they hung up almost two minutes ago, Holly."

"What?! I mean, can I review the tapes? So I can remember exactly who said what?"

"Yes, Holly, you can. After going to Fowl Manor, which is what I was telling you about before being so rudely interrupted by a completely unintelligent question and then, even more rudely, was awakened to the fact that I had just wasted my breath for nearly two minutes."

"Foaly, you're wasting your stinky carrot breath now, and if you don't tell me about this mission right now there won't be any breath _left_ to waste. So get on with it."

"You go to Fowl Manor. You enter, hopefully without anyone noticing. If they do, well, you've got your _mesmer_. Of course, Artemis II will probably have some defense mechanism set up the moment he spots you, but don't take offense. Just approach him peacefully and do a little interrogation. Subtly. Find out what happened. I'll be listening and maybe talking some too. Oh, and if I tell you to leave, I mean _leave._ Right then. Don't stay around no matter _what._"

"Sounds simple enough."

"Well, it isn't."

"What do you mean?"

Foaly sighed. "I think you should listen to the tapes, Holly. You obviously missed the biggest part."


	2. Unpleasant Surprise

_"Sounds simple enough."_

_"Well, it isn't."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_Foaly sighed. "I think you should listen to the tapes, Holly. You obviously missed the biggest part."_

Chapter 2

Holly received the file on her communicator.

"When did you leave me?"

That was a rather awkward question, seeing as why Holly had gone daydreaming in the first place. If there was one thing she did not need it was Foaly's annoying horsey "wit".

"I think it was the part where Minerva was shouting something," she lied.

Foaly raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure it was, Holly."

"Start the recording."

"All I'm saying is that—"

"Start it!"

Foaly shook his head and pressed "Start"

**M: **_**-cording me, Artemis!**_

**A: Oh, very well. Although it will pain me greatly to miss minutes of your **_**exquisite**_** voice, Minerva.**

Despite her best efforts, Holly could not help but bite her lip sharply.

**M: I-ah-that is to say, I have come across some extraordinary information.**

**A: Is that so? And would you be willing to share this extraordinary information with me, perhaps? Or did you call merely to flaunt?**

**M: Flaunting is not my style, Artemis. You know that. I, unlike you, keep a very low profile.**

**A: My apologies. Please, proceed.**

**M: I will visit you . . . ah, secure as this line may be, I will not risk disclosing the exact date. No, all you must do is keep a guest room cleaned and ready.**

**A: I always keep several guest rooms standing by.**

**M: Well, then, my presence should not be a problem. **_**Au revoir.**_

**A: **_**Adieu, ma chérie.**_

**Click**

**M: (****slight****gasp****)**

**Click**

The news was certainly startling, but so was Artemis' farewell. "_Adieu, my dear"_? What kind of language was that between mere acquaintances?

_See, I told you so. He calls her "darling", and she's left breathless. What more proof do you need?_

Holly rolled her eyes. Yeah, right. Besides, he called her his dear, not darling. There was a big difference.

_You know perfectly well that "chérie" could mean both._

More than likely, it was just a form of endearment between friends. The intellectuals had probably grown closer to each other in the two years she had not contacted Artemis. Two years. Had it really been that long? Two years . . .

"Holly, pay attention! Did you get that?"

"What?"

Foaly snorted impatiently. "Stop wandering off, Holly! You're not going to be of any help with all your thoughts scattered. The complication is that this Paradizo girl will be arriving at some random moment, and even though I'll be able to tell an hour or so before she arrives, that may interrupt a crucial moment in your interrogation."

"So why can't we wait until she comes and then _mesmerize_ her?"

"Artemis Fowl the Second is no fool when it comes to these things, Holly. I wouldn't be surprised if he kept mirrored contact lenses in his eyes and the eyes of anybody in the Manor for the past two years. Minerva is no sloppier. Besides, we don't know what she's up to. It's too risky, too dangerous."

"Can't you figure something out? Hack into whatever it is you usually do?"

Foaly shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, about that. Well, I can't seem to—I mean, the system, ah, well, the system doesn't, ah, doesn't seem to be, ah, opening . . ."

Holly burst into laughter. "You, Foaly? A mere Mud Girl's security beats _you_? Oh, I can't wait to tell Vinyáya."

"No, Holly! You'll ruin me!" Foaly moaned. "Besides, it's really unlike anything that I've ever seen. It's more sophisticated than even Fowl's. I wonder what she has to hide."

"Or maybe she's just good with computers," Holly suggested innocently.

Foaly narrowed his eyes and continued quickly. "Anyway, I'm going to get you in there shielded and secretly. You'll hide in one of the cellars until this Minerva Paradizo comes. You'll overhear their conversation and I'll be recording it all, of course. A while after she leaves you'll 'arrive'. If that's even necessary after you hear what's supposedly rated above top secret down here."

"Might she know anything that has to do with the irreplaceable magic?"

"Well, I don't really have access to the things rated above top secret. There's supposed to be a cabinet stashed in the LEP building somewhere, but that's just a rumor."

"Hm," Then something else occurred to her. "How long to I have to hide?"

"Well," Foaly cleared his throat uneasily. "I'm not quite sure."

Holly did not like the sound of that. "Foaly..."

"You'll have plenty of rations, of course."

"Nothing fresh, though."

"Yeah. Nothing fresh. No bed either, so you'll have to make do with whatever's in that cellar. Please don't do anything too drastic; you must be able to put it all back in five seconds in case somebody gets too close. But you won't be discovered."

"And why will I not be discovered?"

"Don't worry; I've got your back in that department."

"Fowl's security not nearly as complicated as the girl's, huh?" Holly chortled.

"Not funny, Holly!"

"Oh, please. You finally get outsmarted by sheer computer brilliance of a Mud Girl before we even begin, and you expect me to drop it this quickly?"

Foaly groaned. _It's going to be a long, long mission._

He had no idea how right he was.

Holly loved green. It was becoming more and more scarce in recent times, what with the Mud People expanding their greedy, polluted tentacles all over the place. Mountains were damaged, but nonetheless mostly there. Waters were horribly devastated, but if she went deep enough there was still life present. Nothing compared to its former glory, but still there. Underground was protected by the People, and she expected to be able to admire the moon for a couple decades more at least.

But the land, the place where humans were originally put, the place they had explored first, cultivated first, killed first—_that_ particular piece of natural beauty was all but gone.

She sighed and swooped towards Fowl Manor. Circling it twice high above in the clouds, she banked and landed on a sheltered wood nearby. Taking off and hiding her gear, she took only a small satchel which contained three months' worth of rations, several simple clip-on surveillance bugs, and a pair of Impromptu Wings. The IW was a prototype that Foaly had donated; they were supposed to be able to unfold and be ready for flight at a moment's notice. In truth they looked like a heap of hay with a few metallic glints here and there. Holly did not intend to try to use them until she was desperate, hopeless, and all but dead.

As she approached the Manor, shielded, however, she saw something that sent her running back to her equipment and flying full-speed to LEP Headquarters.

The girl was just arriving. But that wasn't all. Where Minerva Paradizo walked, a trail of golden sparkles glittered in the air.

Magic.


	3. Keep Your Friends Close

_The IW was a prototype that Foaly had donated; they were supposed to be able to unfold and be ready for flight at a moment's notice. In truth they looked like a heap of hay with a few metallic glints here and there. Holly did not intend to try to use them until she was desperate, hopeless, and all but dead._

_As she approached the Manor, shielded, however, she saw something that sent her running back to her equipment and flying full-speed to LEP Headquarters._

_The girl was just arriving. But that wasn't all. Where Minerva Paradizo walked, a trail of golden sparkles glittered in the air._

_Magic._

Chapter 3

The doorbell rang.

Artemis stood. He had expected Minerva's arrival, of course. He had prepared for it but one minute and fifty-five seconds after he had hung up. But so soon? Artemis weighed the possibilities and decided that she must have come before any potential surveillance could be set up. Fowl Manor was several dozen kilometers from any real settlement, and Minerva had arrived in less than three minutes.

That was strange. Artemis was certain that her call had originated from France. How had she come so quickly?

Artemis glanced at the monitors, checking that everything was secure.

Front garden. Normal.

Front streets. Normal

Front gate. Abnormal.

Artemis sat back down, bewildered. Where Minerva should have been standing, there was nothing. He tapped a few keys, confirming that there was no one invading his system. Everything seemed to be clear. Then something occurred to him. Artemis switched on the shield filter. He should have thought of it earlier. After all, hadn't Minerva implied something about the People in her call?

Artemis watched with incomprehension as Minerva flickered into being on the screen –then disappeared again. He was reaching for the keyboard to type in another command sequence when a pale slender hand pushed it away.

_"__Salut__, Artemis. __Pardonnez__-ma __dérivation__ de __l'entrée__traditionnelle__."_

"… So it must've been Minerva, not Artemis!" a breathless Holly concluded. "At least with Artemis we could half-anticipate his next move. But Minerva Paradizo is almost completely foreign territory! We hardly know anything about her!"

"I would disagree with that last statement, but there's no time right now," Foaly replied, equally agitated about his own findings. "I just received the reports from the fairies without magic – we have two new cases, by the way – and it's not good, not good at all. We have a sprite, and elf, and a dwarf. They're all growing taller. The sprite's wings are withering, the elf's ears are shrinking, and the dwarf can no longer tell the difference between clay and compost by its taste. In short, the doctors think that magic was not the only thing stolen – it was just the most obvious. They believe that the three patients are gradually turning _human."_

Holly took a minute to absorb that, stunned. "Human? That's horrifying! But that means that Minerva… this reminds me of something. Kind of like, hmmmm, kind of like Koboi."

Foaly sighed. "Exactly like Koboi—in reverse. But while the change was part of Opal's downfall, I think it's our second biggest problem now. First we need to stop Minerva before she causes any more damage."

"Okay, that's all relatively straightforward," Holly said, "but why would Minerva visit Artemis? Why do anything other than soak up magic? Isn't that the fastest way to world domination?"

"Well, first of all, we don't know for sure that her objective is world domination. And second, both of us have dealt with these too-D'Arviting-smart-for-their-own-good Mud People long enough to know that nothing is ever simple, fast, or straightforward."

"So? Why aren't I over at the Manor arresting a French girl for felony?"

"And an Irish boy as suspected accomplice."

"We don't _know _that Artemis had anything to do with this!" Holly snapped, the comment pricking at her already high-strung nerves.

"And I don't _know _that you could take Minerva."

"What are you talking about?" Holly demanded, offended. "Sure, she's got magic now, but so what? How many magic-wielding People do you think I've caught? What difference does it make?"

"How did you know Minerva had magic?"

"Can you think of some other reason there would be gold sparks trailing her?"

Foaly sat back and clasped his hands. "Exactly."

Grave silence.

Then Holly raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Exactly what, pony?"

Foaly rolled his eyes. _So much for the dramatic moment of mutual understanding. _"Gold sparks, Holly. _Gold._ Do you really need me to tell you why that isn't right?"

"Oh." Holly frowned. "So why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are they gold? Don't you have a big scientific speech prepped?"

Foaly shifted uneasily. "As much as I hate to admit it, no. I, well, I have no idea why, actually. I can't find any records of this ever happening before. I can't risk sending you out without any information."

Holly crossed her arms and stood up determinedly. "So I'm supposed to just sit here while some super-smart human-fairy hybrid takes over the world? Not happening, pony."

"What are you planning to do, hm? That's right; you _can't _plan because you have no idea what you're up against! And what am I supposed to do here, watch while you get killed?"

"I don't know, Foaly. Maybe you should work harder on finding an explanation. If the records are empty, look for that legendary file cabinet. But I am not sticking around here doing nothing. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to try my luck in another Mayfly."

Artemis activated the alarm system embedded in his teeth. Or, at least, he tried to.

Minerva chuckled softly. "Don't even bother, Artemis. Juliet is on vacation with your parents, and Butler will be waking up in a very secure wine cellar in four hours. Besides, I crippled your computer system. Look," she gestured to the surveillance screens. As her hand passed over them, the screens turned gold, one by one. Finally, the thousands of normally colorful lights around the vast office all grew dark – and then flickered back on, gold.

"Very well, then." Artemis took half a second to regain his composure. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" Minerva laughed again, and the sound was like crystal wind chimes – clear and beautiful, but ready to shatter into a million deadly fragments if the wind picked up. "You make it sound so vulgar, darling. I simply wish to chat. In a civilized manner."

"I see. And this 'chat' somehow required the sedation of my bodyguard and the complete annihilation of my system?" _And since when were we on "darling" basis?_

"Well, I didn't want any interruptions, dear," Minerva said smoothly. "Speaking of which, there is a literally old friend of yours about to burst into the Manor in five. Four. Three. Two. One—"

A loud crack was heard downstairs followed by a distinct "D'Arvit!" as something collided with the invisible barrier that Minerva had apparently left intact.

Artemis cringed internally. _Holly, Holly, Holly. . ._

"Oh, and Artemis?" the silky voice caught his attention. "Before you rush off to deal with this little crisis, dear, I wanted to answer your other question. _I _didn't start the "darling" basis, as you mentally named it. _You_ did, remember?"


	4. And Your Enemies Closer

"_I see. And this 'chat' somehow required the sedation of my bodyguard and the complete annihilation of my system?" _And since when were we on "darling" basis?

_"Well, I didn't want any interruptions, dear," Minerva said smoothly. "Speaking of which, there is a literally old friend of yours about to burst into the Manor in five. Four. Three. Two. One—"_

_A loud crack was heard downstairs followed by a distinct "D'Arvit!" as something collided with the invisible barrier that Minerva had apparently left intact._

_Artemis cringed internally. _Holly, Holly, Holly. . .

_"Oh, and Artemis?" the silky voice caught his attention. "Before you rush off to deal with this little crisis, dear, I wanted to answer your other question. I didn't start the "darling" basis, as you mentally named it. You did, remember?"_

Chapter 4

Foaly winced as Holly collapsed in a heap. He had known about the invisible barrier, of course, but he had assumed it was deactivated when it didn't show up on his sweep. How in the world had it gotten such a significant stealth upgrade in less than two hours? And then he remembered Minerva's system. How it had gone from a picket fence to the Great Wall, metaphorically speaking. Minerva. Of course, of course.

"_D'Arvit, Foaly!" _Holly's voice shrieked into the transmitter. "Why did you not –"

The complaint stopped suddenly. The line went dead. Foaly sat up and quickly began a security scan. Minerva may have been upgrading Mud technology, but there was no way …

He stopped mid-thought. His jaw dropped. All the video feed from Holly and the Manor was gone. And then all the lights connected to the feed began to power off. Two seconds later, everything turned back on – gold.

"Hello? Foaly, is it?"

Foaly whipped around, searching for the source of the sound.

"Over here."

Foaly stumbled back. The voice was coming from a failed microphone prototype that he was about to discard. The microphone wasn't connected to anything at all.

"Oh, please, centaur, just accept the shock. Everyone else has."

Foaly cleared his throat nervously and tried to put together a serious but coherent sentence.

"I suppose you would be the unnatural human-fairy burglar?"

Minerva laughed, sending shivers down Foaly's spine and into his tail. "If you say so. While Artemis is downstairs, I thought I'd talk with you."

"And you chose this particular microphone because…" _Might as well try to learn something about her._

"I don't see what you have against it. It could be very useful with just a few minor tweaks, you know. And besides, this was the most advanced piece of equipment in your hearing range which was also capable of taking the strain."

"What do you mean?"

Minerva sighed. "I suppose you won't believe it until you see it. Very well. I will be transferring to your third monitor from the left. I advise you to keep your distance. Transfer in three, two, one."

Foaly just barely managed to catch a glimpse of a human female clad in black silk before the monitor cracked and the connecting wires began sparking. It quivered for a while, then settled down and began smoking. Foaly was speechless.

"You see what I mean?" Minerva returned to the microphone. "The more high-tech your equipment is, the less resilient. I, on the other hand, am brilliant on offense _and_ defense, which is why it was effortless for me to avoid your attention while secretly sealing your laser-proof tent."

Foaly rushed to the door of his "tent" and tried desperately to unlock it.

"You really need to be more careful about that, Foaly." Minerva was very amused. "You've been locked in before by Koboi, haven't you? Yes, I know all about Koboi. One must learn from history. I have been borrowing a page from Opal's book and erasing her mistakes. And her bad luck. Luck is so very annoying. Well, Artemis is about to come back, so I'll bid farewell for now. I assure you that Holly won't be harmed unless it is necessary, but you really should be more worried for your _own_ safety at the moment. Good luck!"

Foaly stared at the microphone, which seemed no different after being Minerva's vessel. What did she mean by _good luck_? Why should Foaly be worried? He trotted over to the microphone and inspected it. His already bulging eyes widened even further. He blew off the dust on a flat panel connected to the microphone, which had a screen which was supposed to display various information about the caller. It had been gold before, like everything else related to Minerva, but now it displayed five red numbers: 18000. And then, 17999. 17998.

Foaly took a shaky breath. Minerva was giving him five hours before something happened. He wasn't sure what the "something" was, and he didn't want to find out.

_In four, hold four, out four, hold four… _Foaly steadied his breathing. He had to be rational here. He shut his eyes and tried to calm his nerves.

Artemis glided down the staircase, one hand barely hovering above the rail, one behind his back so that his arm formed a forty-five degree angle.

"Ah, Captain Short," he addressed the figure lying on the ground before him. "Not one of your most graceful moments, I'm afraid. To what do I owe this … visit?" He couldn't let on that anything was unusual. Not yet.

Holly didn't move.

"Captain Short?" Artemis repeated, more insistently. "Are you all right?" The barrier was meant only to stop unwelcome company, not knock her unconscious. Artemis stretched out a hand experimentally. Sure enough, he felt a strong opposition, but no more serious effects. Suddenly, the resistance vanished – Minerva's doing, he supposed.

Artemis sighed wearily and scooped up Holly. She was surprisingly heavy. New suit, most likely. Gingerly laying her on an indoor hammock (he knew that would come in handy one day), he removed her helmet.

_Well, there's the problem. _Artemis noticed that many of her wires were short-circuiting, leaving all her technology useless and also delivering a minor shock to her head. Nothing significant, but enough to render her unconscious for a few minutes. Artemis sat back and waited.

One minute and eighteen seconds later, Holly frantically sat up. "Artemis!" she exclaimed at the sight of him. "What happened?"

"You were unaware for little more than three minutes," he answered unaffectedly. "I believe I am entitled to some questions as well. What are _you_ doing here?"

"Artemis," Holly said guardedly, "Is there anything you need to tell me?"

Something strange happened to Artemis' face for a split second, but then everything was back to impassiveness. "If this is another technological witch hunt from Foaly, I have no time. I am currently entertaining guests. Your interruption was most unexpected and—" _I am going to hate myself for this later. _"—unwelcome."

"Oh?" Holly countered jokingly. "I'm hurt, Artemis. I'm very hurt. I simply wished to borrow a room for a couple days. I won't tell you why, but you'll probably figure out anyway, like you always do. If you need me, I'll be in _my_ room!"

Artemis gritted his teeth. Holly had recently annexed a guest room in the Manor as "Property of Short". No matter how many times Artemis had explained to her why it was illegal in both human and fairy law, she had made a habit of simply coming and staying.

"I will be upstairs. And, as you are under my roof, Holly, you will not come upstairs."

Holly watched him go, and breathed a sigh of relief when he was out of sight. She hadn't even really minded the eyeball order at the moment. All she cared about was that he left, because if he stuck around he might have noticed that she really was _hurt_.


	5. More Than Meets the Eye

Holly watched him go, and breathed a sigh of relief when he was out of sight. She hadn't even really minded the eyeball order at the moment. All she cared about was that he left, because if he stuck around he might have noticed that she really was _hurt_.

* * *

Chapter 5

Artemis stopped and leaned against the wall once he turned the corner. It was obvious that Holy was injured by his comment, despite her futile efforts to cover it up. He hated doing it, but he couldn't involve the People, not until he had a better understanding of the situation. Still, guilt was squeezing his heart.

_Oh, please! _His pre-frontal cortex scoffed. _Stop berating yourself. You're doing this for her own good! Stop being such a useless weakling!_

Correct. Artemis straightened and marched up the stairs. He completely ignored another little voice, one that he had learned to stifle years and years ago.

_Are you really just trying to protect her? _His limbic system asked. Being in the background for so long, his limbic system had developed a way of only asking questions, as Artemis could not resist trying to answer a question. _Are you really just thinking of that? Or is there another reason you don't want Minerva and Holly to meet?_

Artemis, of course, didn't even notice the protest.

* * *

Minerva waited patiently for Artemis to regain his composure and return to the office. It would have been interesting to see when Foaly had his breakdown, but, alas, it was a luxury she could not afford.

"How is your friend Commiphora?" she inquired politely as he closed the door behind him.

"Holly," he corrected.

Minerva waved dismissively. "Some spiky plant."

Artemis frowned with annoyance. "It is not like you to forget something so drastically, Minerva," he commented tersely.

Minerva smiled slightly. "No. It isn't." Of course she had not forgotten Captain Holly Short's name. She was merely gauging Artemis' reaction to her indifference. It was … slightly more intense than anticipated, even if he _was _allergic to myrrh. Still, Minerva could work anything to her advantage.

"She is well, thank you for asking." Artemis continued firmly. "Although I do not see the purpose in electrocuting her."

"You know my target was never her. I couldn't have any stray camera sending our talk back underground, now could I? Speaking of which, her stay is rather _intrusive_."

"She is under eyeball orders not to come upstairs. She will remain in the Manor until she leaves of her own choosing."

Minerva studied Artemis for a moment. He was clearly very bothered by her repeated remarks pertaining to Short. Bothered enough that he hadn't even implied anything about her blatant show of mind-reading several minutes before.

Minerva sincerely hoped that the feeling was mutual on Holly's side, as she expected. It made everything so much easier.

* * *

Once Holly had regained her rationality, she cursed herself for being so pathetic before. Her priority here was finding out the secret of and stopping Minerva. Artemis hadn't returned her helmet, and she couldn't find it anywhere on the first floor. Furthermore, she couldn't hold any communication with Foaly through her suit. She couldn't do anything else, for that matter. Everything had gone dead. Holly changed out of her now-useless uniform and into something more comfortable. In truth, her closet at the Manor was about as stocked as back home – that is to say, three shirts (black, white, grey), two pairs of pants (black, grey), and one neglected dress (the dust was too thick to tell, and Holly couldn't bother remembering).

Finding nothing of interest on the first floor, she strolled outside, looking up at the windows.

Artemis had forbidden her from going up _stairs, _but …

It was time to practice some wall climbing.

* * *

_This Holly really is quite meddlesome, _Minerva thought in annoyance. But she wouldn't mention it to Artemis, not now.

She had just explained to him how she had come across a peculiar and overlooked passage in the fairy Book she'd acquired. She had decided that the Book must hold more secrets than was available to every Gnomish-speaking creature. After a moderate amount of searching, she came across what she believed was a piece meant only for the eyes of those who could find it – the elite. It was actually in the form of an acrostic hidden in the second letter of every thirteenth word in the middle seventy lines:

_This gift is of the earth's device_

_No faerie shall this blessing waiver_

_But should another pay the price_

_The earth may well transfer its favor_

She had extracted several samples of fairy DNA, and after a considerable time, she had managed to "transfer" many enhanced assets to herself.

Minerva failed to mention that she had acquired the Book from one of Artemis' vaults, or precisely how she had extracted the DNA, or the exact amount of time it took, or that it was really more of an exchange than a gift. These things he didn't have to know. The persuasion had gone perfectly thus far, with Artemis expressing all the right reactions and all the right thoughts at all the right times. Manipulation was so effortless when you could tell what the other party was thinking."Now, Artemis," she touched her fingertips together.

"I have," dramatic pause, "a most –"

A sharp crack was heard, followed by "D'Arvit!" and a loud thump.

Artemis stood quickly. "Holly!" he exclaimed. Then, to Minerva, "I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me for a moment, Minerva. Make yourself comfortable. I will return to this intriguing subject matter promptly," and swiftly flew out of the room.

Minerva's hands clenched and unclenched as she gritted her teeth. Forcing herself to calm down, she touched her forefingers to her temples and breathed deeply. _That little meddling, idiotic, maladroit_ _chienne__ … __merde__!_

* * *

Holly sheepishly sat up out of a pile of broken boards and splinters. Who knew the Manor walls were booby-trapped with old wood? She heard footsteps rushing over and turned her head in time to meet Artemis' angry glare.

"Damn, Holly! What on earth –" Artemis looked at the debris, noticed what the wood was, and then looked up at a rather conspicuous tear in the joinery. "Oh."

Holly tried to get up. "Look, Artemis, I'm sorry about the wall– ahh!" Her ankle flared with pain, and she collapsed again.

Artemis seemed to soften when he saw her injury. "The wall, Holly? The wall?" he said in a gentler tone. "You could have gotten killed! The odds were three in two thousand five hundred! You're lucky it was only your ankle and –" he glanced at her, "—your left wrist."

"My left wrist is fine," Holly protested. Then she touched it. "Ow! Never mind!"

Artemis sighed. "You see what I mean. I'll help you back into your room, bandage your injuries, and then you will _stay_ in that room until I tell you otherwise. That last one was an order."

Holly hobbled with Artemis back into her room, burning with embarrassment. Now it would be harder than ever to find anything out. After Artemis left her, with a stern "Stay. Otherwise. . .", as she drifted to sleep with an immobile ankle and wrist, she wondered what Foaly was thinking.

* * *

Foaly thought over what Minerva had said. Someone like her wouldn't just kill him. She'd have some sort of game prepared.

_"You've been locked in before by Koboi, haven't you? Yes, I know all about Koboi. One must learn from history. I have been borrowing a page from Opal's book and erasing her mistakes. And her ego. Ego is so very annoying. Well, Artemis is about to come back, so I'll bid farewell for now. I assure you that Holly won't be harmed unless it is necessary, but you really should be more worried for your own safety at the moment. Good luck!"_

Borrowing a page from Opal's book… could it be? Foaly trotted over to a cabinet, selected a file briefcase, and flicked it open.

After a few moments of loading, the hologram popped up.

**FILE: OPAL KOBOI**

* * *

_A/N: This chapter has a good amount of trivia. In case you didn't know this, the pre-frontal cortex is the "logical brain", while the limbic system is often called "the emotional brain"._

_The incense myrrh is commonly extracted from the Commiphora plant._

_And from some earlier chapters, the mayfly is the shortest-lived animal. (And therefore the _disposable _travel capsule is named after it.)_


	6. A Woman Interrupted

_Borrowing a page from Opal's book… could it be? Foaly trotted over to a cabinet, selected a file briefcase, and flicked it open._

_After a few moments of loading, the hologram popped up._

_**FILE: OPAL KOBOI

* * *

**_

Chapter 6

Minerva was ever so annoyed.

The perfect moment! The perfect moment! And it was gone! For what? For what? A stupid, clumsy, little midget?

There was something else bothering her as well. Artemis had been too preoccupied to notice, but Holly was certainly not telling the truth. It was clear in her posture, her eyes, and her voice, amongst other things. Her injury was just a convenient excuse for staying at the Manor, monitoring – what? Who? _Probably me,_ Minerva thought. She had sensed the fairies watching her through one of Artemis's cameras, but that was only for a moment before she snapped the connection. The People had almost certainly noticed at once that several of their fairies had lost their magic permanently, and by now they had most likely gathered what was going on. The truly troubling part, however, was that Holly had arrived even though the fairies knew Minerva was powerful. It was as if she were here to interrupt on purpose. Her many "accidents" were too perfectly timed to be coincidence. And for them to send someone to stay, they must have realized what she was about to put forward to Artemis. There would need to be a major change of plans if she was to avoid fairy intervention…

Artemis entered the room, apologizing profusely. Well, she might as well save some talk for another time, then. She rose gracefully, black silk swishing at her ankles.

"I suppose that is enough for you to take in for one day, Artemis. I will retreat to my room, if you don't mind."

Artemis hesitated to soak everything in, something he very, very rarely did. Finally he decided that there was little he could do until he got a chance to think alone.

"Minerva, I hardly think I could stop you from destroying the Manor, much less take one room. But if you will excuse me, I will not be escorting you."

Minerva's lips curved upward slightly. "Understandable," she purred, and glided out of the door.

* * *

Holly awoke with a start.

Of course! There was a loophole!

Just before Artemis left her room, he had said, "Stay. Otherwise…" and finished with a menacing glare.

Ha! "Otherwise"! He said the word "otherwise! Ha!

Holly limped out of her room experimentally. No ill effects. Good. But what was she going to do with a broken ankle and sprained wrist?

And where in the world was Butler?

Holly had patrolled the downstairs enough to know he wasn't here. In fact, shouldn't he have followed Artemis when he opened the door?

Not downstairs, not upstairs, so there was only one place in the Manor he could be…

Holly made her painful way toward the cellar.

* * *

Minerva struggled to keep her temper in check.

_I am in control. This is my body. I am in control. I am calm._

For once, she really wasn't so sure.

* * *

Holly banged on the door. "Butler!" she shouted.

She had picked the locks on the door, but it still wasn't opening. And if Butler was in there, he wasn't responding.

"Butler!" she yelled again.

Holly slid to the floor, exhausted. This wasn't getting her anywhere at all.

Then, a few minutes later:

"Holly, is that you?"

Butler! He was alive! He'd probably be able to break open the door. And maybe he would have some answers.

"How did I get in here?"

Or maybe not.

* * *

Butler? She freed Butler? Why, the puny –

No.

_Teach that insolent creature a lesson._

No. No! No, no, no, no, no!

* * *

Butler followed Holly into her room, weapons ready.

"Do you have something that'll counteract the _mesmer_?" Butler asked.

"It is against the Book to _mesmerize_ another fairy…" Holly trailed off. Minerva didn't follow the Book. She retrieved her helmet and flicked her visor down – manually, since the buttons didn't work. "What about you?"

"Contacts," he said simply. Of course.

"Alright, then," the bodyguard switched to battle mode. "I'll take care of Minerva. You convince Artemis to get the hell out of there."

* * *

How dare they! Plotting to confront her! Her! Minerva Paradizo!

_Don't tolerate this audacity. Go punish them!_

Minerva's already straining control snapped. She streaked downstairs in a blur.

* * *

They were just about to go up when Minerva came down.

Butler dove and fired at Minerva's leg, shouting at Holly to go up stairs. Out of the corner of his eye, Butler saw her obey.

He fired again at the surprisingly still-standing Minerva several more times, now aiming for more damaging areas. Minerva simply turned around to face Butler, amusement plain on her face. "_You_ weren't supposed to come out so early." Minerva smiled and Butler thought he saw something gold glint in her eyes. The fireplace exploded. Butler was blinded for a moment as the ash clouded his eyes. When it cleared, Minerva was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Minerva was in the office long before Holly limped there. Artemis was standing, waiting.

"What happened?" he inquired, seemingly calm.

Minerva was too angry to answer. The rage consumed her, wrapping up every gram of sense and squeezing it to death. She whirled around as Holly appeared in the doorway.

"Artemis! You have to – whoa. How did you get here?"

Minerva said nothing, but her eyes – like flat golden disks, thought Holly – glared daggers at Holly. How dare the impudent elf question her? A rafter began creaking above them. It started bending, threatening to give way.

Holly reacted on pure instinct, ignoring the searing pain in her ankle as she rolled out of the way, and then her wrist began to burn too as she put her weight on it. She escaped just before the heavy granite beam fell, demolishing two busts, a painting, and the very spot Holly was standing on only a moment before.

* * *

Minerva sealed the door of the guestroom after closing it, melting down the doorknob and using the molten steel to seal the cracks between door and wall. It wasn't too secure for Butler or Holly to handle, so Minerva added an intimidating tangle of golden thorns. Closer inspection would reveal that the vegetation was actually constructed of billions of gold sparks – far more dangerous than any plant.

That completed, Minerva collapsed on the bed. What had she done? The magic was trying to control her again, fueling the tiniest piece of annoyance into roaring rage. She could feel the elf's heat signature downstairs as she narrowly escaped her doom.

Minerva had almost killed her. For what? For doing what the fairy thought was necessary. For reacting naturally. For being what she was. And that wasn't all. How would Artemis see her now? How would she be able to complete her mission?

Minerva sat there and used her anger against the magic's, locking it away in a safe lead chest bound by restraints and rules, not to be shown again unless she consciously willed it to.

Once she was completely in control of herself, Minerva stood and sighed, clasping and unclasping her hands, dreading what she had to do next. Another minor inconvenience of the magic – needing to apologize and even admit to rivals that she made a mistake. She decided to procrastinate. Instead of heading out the door, she closed her eyes and reached out with her mind for the microphone in Foaly's office.

* * *

Butler sprinted upstairs as a huge marble beam fell in the corridor. That couldn't have been an accident – the whole hall was made of one stone, and Butler would have noticed if any part was weakening. Either Holly had messily managed to shoot it down (and why would she do that?) or there was a whole lot he had missed.

* * *

Artemis was thrown to the floor by the vibration as the corridor was demolished. A few minutes later he peeled himself from the ground just as Holly stumbled into the office, covered in granite dust. Her visor had shattered and her gun was crushed under the beam. Her shoulder was bloody from where flying debris had nicked her, her ankle was just about ruined, and Holly looked altogether abysmal. Still, her next words shocked Artemis even more than her appearance.

"Min—Minerva. Sh—she tried to kill me."

* * *

**A/N: **_For readers who have started before November 20, you should be confused. Yes, I changed the color of Minerva's magic from silver to gold. This is because of a variety of reasons but mostly because gold is a lot more ... emotional of a color than silver, don't you think? Well, this is just about bordering on a spoiler, so I'll stop here._

_I updated two times this month to make up for not updating in October._


	7. Riddles and Games

_Holly stumbled into the room, covered in granite dust. Her visor had shattered and her gun was crushed under the beam. Her shoulder was bloody from where flying debris had nicked her, and Holly looked altogether abysmal. Still, her next words shocked Artemis even more than her appearance._

"_Sh—she tried to kill me."_

* * *

She tried to kill Holly. She tried to kill Holly. She tried …

Artemis shook himself in annoyance. Mindlessly repeating the same thing over and over again wasn't exactly helping. There were several essential questions that needed to be answered:

One. Why did she try to kill Holly?

Two. How did she manage?

Three. Why was she angry?

Four. How might this happen in the future?

Five. How might this be prevented?

And these boiled down to, really, two questions:

What triggered Minerva?

And what to do next?

* * *

Foaly flicked through the files.

_Borrowing a page, borrowing a page, borrowing a page from Opal's book …erasing her mistakes…_

Hmm, mistakes.

Foaly selected Koboi's crime record.

_File #348, category Oak_

_Date: Day Twenty-first of the Silver Month, year 398475_

_Subject: Opal Koboi_

_Report: The subject was reportedly engaging in illegal human-fairy hybrid activities in an attempt at world domination…_

Foaly scanned through the document, and then deleted every place where Opal had made a mistake. This was most of the report, since the whole thing was about mistake – it was a crime record. So that couldn't be right. Foaly tried to think from Minerva's perspective. Her idea of a mistake would be somewhere where Koboi did something that led to her eventual downfall.

Hmmm… _"illegal", _maybe, and _"world domination"…_

Foaly filtered the rest of the report hopefully. This just might work.

* * *

Holly couldn't find the strength to stand any longer, and Artemis seemed too much in shock, or maybe thought, to come help her, so Holly simply collapsed onto the floor. It was a hard, polished wood, but falling onto it was better than trying to sustain herself upright, bloody mess that she was. The loud _thwack _her skull made when it hit the floor couldn't possibly be healthy, but at least it got Artemis' attention. He blinked, almost as if taking in her condition for the first time, and rushed over to lift her up onto the sofa Minerva had been sitting in only minutes before. Her ankle was not the only thing killing her now, it was her wrist, her neck, her legs, her head… her entire body was being consumed by a searing golden fire of pain.

Then it lessened somewhat, lessened some more, until it was mainly her ankle and wrists that were hurt, as well as her arm – she had landed on it in an unnatural position. There was a cut on her forehead, too, but Holly wasn't exactly trying out for the Miss Haven beauty pageant, and physical injury was an occupational hazard, and she remembered that she had signed a contract accepting those, and Root was there …

All these thoughts were running loosely through her mind until she managed to focus on Artemis' voice.

"Good," he was murmuring. "This is good."

_That_ irked her back to her senses.

"Good?" she managed to croak. "How is this _good?"_

Artemis folded his hands in a contemplative manner. "It's good because I have answered some questions."

Holly would've slapped him if she wasn't currently immobile. That boy could be so D'Arviting _annoying_ sometimes. Actually, most of the time.

"Holly, Holly, Holly. There is just so much you don't know."

"Well, I _would _know a lot more if you weren't so aggravatingly secretive, wouldn't I?" she spat, now extremely ticked off. "And even if I didn't, even if I couldn't for the life of me figure out all that genius stuff, it doesn't give you the right to be all haughty and presumptuous while somebody is lying on a couch, was injured, and could've died, because of _you_!"

Artemis inhaled sharply. "What did you say?"

And now _he's _offended? He's _offended? _"You heard me, you arrogant little Mud Boy!"

* * *

After a long two hours of repeated trial and error, Foaly managed to gather what Minerva's plan was, somewhat. There was something about making a human-fairy hybrid, although in this case both the humans and fairies were being transformed. Minerva was not aiming for world domination – not right now, at least. She has no accomplices. She has not used her magic anywhere but in Fowl Manor, and perhaps in some other minor preparatory errands. She was not in a coma. She did not have a clone in a coma. In fact, at this point, Foaly wondered whether it was possible to put Minerva in a coma. Her brain—part computer by now, probably – would be able to override any coma-inducing outer force. A computer did not fall into a coma. A computer went into a lockdown.

* * *

Artemis was caught off guard. "What did you say?" he blurted in surprise.

This seemed only to irritate Holly further. "You heard me, you arrogant little Mud Boy!"

Artemis turned his head slightly away from the furious elf to gather his thoughts. Holly seemed to be reacting to his claim that there was much she did not know.

The shock was – he had never actually said those words _aloud_.

* * *

Foaly stood and trotted over to the cursed microphone in the corner between a box and a monitor. He glanced at the numbers flashing on its side (106132 … 106131 …), gulped, and brought it over to a desk.

Taking a deep breath, he connected the thin cable into the computer.

He opened up the microphone's programming. If he could just tweak it a little, then launch the potent virus he'd been waiting to test when Minerva tapped into...

"Hard at work, Foaly?"

Foaly started and slammed the computer shut. He cursed himself for this infantile display of nerves and irritably flicked the computer open again. Minerva was still there, not surprisingly, though the computer was supposed to go into auto-protect if treated roughly. This time he could see Minerva on the computer screen (_not _supposed to be possible), and she was sitting on a large bed that he supposed was in one of the Manor's guest rooms. Her long ebony gown seemed a little dusty - _not _very Minerva-like. He wanted to analyze it, maybe get a little insight as to what was happening in the Manor, but he knew it would be useless and would only invite a volley of stinging sarcasm from Minerva – _not _what he needed right now. So he sat back, squared his shoulders, and observed.

"Ouch …" Minerva complained. Foaly could practically hear her pouty lower lip, though on the screen her face remained perfectly composed. "Don't abuse the machinery, Foaly. It's not the one at fault here. And don't try to deceive yourself into thinking that I don't know the exact word you were reading. Don't try to deceive yourself into thinking that I don't know the exact program you are going to use, how you are going to use it, and what the outcome will be. I know, Foaly, and I am impressed. You may just escape – but you'll never take me down in the process. You've figured out that I'm half computer now, but you should know that I'm no ordinary computer with any ordinary programming. I'm half _self-controlled_ _supercomputer. _Much more advanced than simple artificial intelligence. Anything you can come up with is ancient compared with me. I would worry more about living right now, Foaly, if I were you. You've already used up 5.2879488928341034584203947% of your remaining time trying to create an impossible virus, and then listening to me while I explain exactly how impossible it is."

Foaly snorted, trying to be sarcastic. "You think you can awe me with big numbers?"

"Of course not," Minerva replied, coldly. "I'd just like to inform you that that little calculation took less than 0. of a second for me. That's all.

"Still, despite that juvenile attempt at a barb, Foaly, I must repeat that I am impressed. You just—_just_—may escape."

That was certainly unexpected. And suspicious. Foaly shook off the chills he suddenly felt and tried to suppress the intuition that something was seriously wrong – that he, and Holly, and Artemis, and everyone else were just lemmings blindly scampering along the barren dirt without any cover, and Minerva was a falcon, taking her time, watching as they played right into her deadly-sharp talons.


	8. Mazes

_That was certainly unexpected. And suspicious. Foaly shook off the chills he suddenly felt and tried to suppress the intuition that something was seriously wrong – that he, and Holly, and Artemis, and everyone else were just lemmings blindly scampering along the barren dirt without any cover, and Minerva was a falcon, taking her time, watching as they played right into her deadly-sharp talons._

Chapter 8

Minerva leaned back onto the mattress, disliking its consistency, which was designed to balance comfort and good posture. Conventional comfort meant very little to Minerva now, and she allowed a pool of gold to trickle out of her and coat the bed, creating a more supportive, spine-straightening surface. This power was very convenient, but she must remember to pace herself; the amount of magic she had just used left her feeling a bit drained. A small nap right now would be heavenly.

But there was work to be done. Minerva sighed. Pausing to collect her thoughts, she stood from lying on her back in one fluid, effortless motion. Her dress had a fine layer of ground granite, some of which fluttered to the floor as she moved. She was about to dispel it with a bit of magic before she remembered that she needed to rest and recharge. So instead Minerva glided across the room to the wide window with the ornately carved sill. She ran her elegant fingertips over the maze of lilies and birds-of-paradise, and then cast her gaze outside.

A fresh layer of snow floated on the lawn and the cherry boughs, undisturbed by the commotion indoors. Minerva frowned with disapproval. Artemis shouldn't let snow fall so freely into the Manor premises. It would be all too easy for someone to slip a toxin or spy gadget in the midst of the flakes. Well, it would be all too easy for _her, _at least.

There it was, her practical side again. Her _other _side, almost ruining this lovely scene with criticism. Minerva would not let herself be disturbed by such thoughts today. Not now. She admired how the white blanketed everything, how for this one minute, right after snowfall, everything was fresh and clean and had a new start for all.

She turned from the window, and her thoughts wandered to that snowy evening when her father had taken her to the movie for the first time. There had been a trailer playing in the wall of the cinema, not of the movie they were watching, but still it stuck in her mind for all these years.

A young woman was in the water, exploring the sea caves. She probed into the darkness, but was shocked when she saw a cheery, inviting light appearing from one of the tunnels. Stepping in, she realized that it was a cavern full of gold and jewels. The cave was off her planned course, but she went in anyway.

And then the sharp stalactite—painfully obvious had she been paying attention to more than the glowing riches—caught on her oxygen tank, ripping a giant gash in the metal, and the woman watched in horror as the air disappeared with one short hiss.

Little Minerva had scoffed at that dramatic ending, and began listing all the ways that couldn't possibly ever happen, from the unprofessional expedition to the impossibility of such a hoard to the durability of the oxygen tank, and it had been a constant target of ridicule for her.

But now it was taking on new depth as a metaphor, preposterous as it was, for the very life Minerva was living. She could remember the days of her childhood, so pressured and grave compared to all other childhoods, but so light and carefree compared to Minerva now. And it wasn't just her young age, either. It was before she had taken it upon herself to be so much more than her human body allowed her to be. It was before the dark ambition.

And then her breath caught in her throat, and then she choked silently on something terrible, something achieved only in absolute lonely stillness—if that was even the correct word, since achieved implies a reward, and that implies something good—something that sent her back to the shimmering golden mattress, to take back all the magic, so quickly that it gave her a jolt, something that caused her to throw herself onto the now-soft bed and let herself sink in without fear of a posture less than impeccable.

The golden web standing guard at the door wavered, dim.

Yes, the snow had given a seemingly new start for everything. But that was not true, not true. Minerva could take nothing back, could undo nothing. She could not, for all her power and might, turn back the relentless force that was time. Once a decision was made, it was final. It was ridiculous that such a simple concept should pain her so, but it did, like a thousand blades slashing her golden heart, and for that moment, that spilt instant she wished that they truly would destroy the gold and replace it with a human red.

The tangle at the door flared.

_Oh, you are right about one thing. This _is _ridiculous! Pouting like any stupid little girl who didn't get enough sugar on her cicada-pop! This is perfect! This is power! This is what you've always wanted! Now you have it, and you're going to sulk, you impudent ingrate? Oh –_

Minerva flinched as a speck of magic flew off her fingertip involuntarily.

_And you're not even worried about things you have a right to worry about—_

The flinch turned into a shudder as the speck was followed by a droplet, and then a steady stream, and then an outright river – from all ten fingertips.

_- like, oh, I don't know, your looks? You're hideous! And you refuse to change your body with magic, yet you lay here whimpering?_

Minerva suppressed a scream as she was beset by a sudden soreness, and a wave of fatigue crushed her.

"Stop!" she managed to say. "I _will _finish the mission." She felt an immense sensation of relief as the current reversed, sending all the magic cascading back into her. As the last little speck flew back where it belonged, she was given a final warning –

_You'd better not have any more worthless meltdowns._

"Of course not." In fact, in hindsight, Minerva was rather embarrassed by her weakness. "Of course not," she repeated, refashioning her gown with scissors and needles and threads of gold. "There's no time for, ahem, 'meltdowns'."

And with what dignity she could salvage, Minerva, now wearing a crisp, tailored silk business suit, composed herself, dismissed the thorns, and flowed out into the hallway, smooth and polished as ever.

Foaly tapped away furiously at his computers. He knew what Minerva was planning, but it wasn't going to be very helpful if no one else was notified. He was on his seventy-ninth try now, and he had failed to broadcast the information to the lazy receptionist two rooms away, much less an officer or the Council or, say, Artemis Fowl.

Foaly stifled a yawn. He couldn't afford to be distracted even for a second. He had yawned on try number forty-one, and when he opened his eyes he saw ACCESS DENIED. Number fifteen was thwarted by a cough. Sixty-two, a scratch. Thirty, stretching his fingers. Fifty-eight, an extended blink.

Still, he couldn't blame anything on these distractions. All his other attempts had been foiled by pure technological genius, after all. And Minerva wasn't even paying attention. He was being shot back by _automatic sequences. _Ah, the humiliation.

ACCESS DENIED

Foaly groaned and pushed his chair back. He almost couldn't stand at first – he had been at his computer so long. Dismally, he picked up Minerva's favorite microphone and checked the timer.

4138 … 4137 … 4136

He had little more than an hour left. Joy. Foaly dejectedly slumped back into his chair.

"Okay, secret file cabinet. If you exist, this would be a great time to show yourself!"

Nothing happened.

"Idiot," He was so stupid, wasting time on wishful thinking. He had turned back to the computers when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Something dark splotched on the far wall between two brimming stacks of wires and motherboards. Foaly walked over to it and saw that it was a tunnel of some sort. What on earth was a _tunnel _doing in the LEP top secret tech lab? What if it was a sabotage maneuver? Why had he never noticed this gaping hole before? How did it get here? What if it led … outside?

_Well, I've got nothing to lose, _he thought, and stepped in.

Minerva's ears heard some sort of heated discussion going on inside Artemis's office. Well. It seems like she had caught a lovers' squabble. This will be amusing, if not very informative. She leaned against the hallway wall and listened.

"…presumptuous while somebody is lying on a couch, was injured, could've died, because of _you_!"

Artemis inhaled sharply. _What-how-? _"What did you say?"

"You heard me, you arrogant little Mud Boy!"

Minerva frowned. Why could she not detect Holly's thoughts? They must've been quite intense and emotionally charged, in the middle of an argument. So why?

But now Artemis was saying – no – thinking something.

_Minerva's powers must've transferred to her somehow … intriguing …_

And suddenly she could sense Holly. Yes, her thoughts were very loud indeed, and their sudden appearance gave Minerva a start.

_**IDIOT STUPID INGRATE SNOBBY SPOILED ANNOYING IHATEHIM …**_

Minerva sighed at how disorganized Holly's mind was compared to Artemis' (which made him all the more admirable). Still, there was that one thing Artemis had thought. Had her powers ricocheted and – and transferred? Was that why Holly had temporary immunity? Minerva focused, trying to sense Artemis, whose quiet, collected thoughts were all but drowned out by Holly's rage. A few minutes later, she came to the conclusion that the transfer was very short-lived, at least in this case. But still, this was worrying. Holly was something that would have to be dealt with sooner or later. In some way or other.

Artemis stared at Holly and concentrated his thoughts. _Holly, can you hear me? Can you hear me? _And then, when that evoked no reaction, he tried the bolder _Holly, your eyes are quite pretty. No, don't take that as a compliment; I'm really saying that _my _eyes are attractive. In fact, you would be quite an imbecile to think that I would make a remark like that in such an experiment…_

"Artemis," Holly snapped.

_Why, oh why did I choose _that_ moment to prattle…She must've heard me._

"Stop staring at me like that. It's creeping me out."

_Or not._

"I'm not apologizing, by the way, no matter how long or how weirdly you stare. I meant every word. No regrets. Now leave me alone and don't come back until you're ready to say 'sorry'."

"I never say anything as primitive as 'sorry'."

"Well, I guess you'll never come back, then."

"Holly –"

"Out. Now."

"You need to know that –"

"I said _now._"

Artemis took a deep breath. "As you wish," he said curtly. He stood decisively, and strode out the door without a second's hesitation.

* * *

_A/N: A long, not-too-action-filled chapter. Some especially perceptive readers may have already guessed the twist to Minerva, but don't worry if you haven't. All will be revealed ... in good time, of course._


	9. Spider's Web

"_Well, I guess you'll never come back, then."_

"_Holly –"_

"_Out. Now."_

"_You need to know that –"_

"_I said now."_

_Artemis took a deep breath. "As you wish," he said curtly. He stood decisively, and strode out the door without a second's hesitation._

* * *

Chapter 9

Artemis was troubled. And a troubled mind was a slow mind. He needed to clear his thoughts as soon as possible.

"Artemis," a collected voice said behind him. Minerva. Interesting. He was so preoccupied he hadn't even noticed her when he passed her in the hallway. Well, her newfound powers of stealth probably helped as well.

"Yes, Min—" Artemis turned around. No one was there.

"Speak, Artemis," the girl commanded from behind him, again. Artemis was curious. Why was she so openly displaying her powers now, toying with him? He didn't like it.

"What are you doing, Minerva?"

"I am showing you that as long as you are fully human, you will never be the elite of our kind."

"Your 'kind'?"

"Not just me. You. Us. The Einsteins and the Beethovens and the Caesars and the Wu Zetians. But you cannot have true power if you lack physical ability. Think about Athena, and her Roman counterpart for whom I was named. She was the goddess of wisdom. But she found herself all too often using not only her mental acuity but also her great skill in battle. You cannot have one without the other, Artemis. You must accept the fact that as long as you yourself are not physically powerful, you will one day find yourself with no bodyguards, with someone or something against whom your mind games are futile, and that will be the day you are helpless."

"There are ways of gaining martial prowess other than your…method, Minerva."

"But think what else I have gained. Think of how quickly your defenses were struck down. I am asking you to _think_, Artemis, something you are accustomed to. Think. Not make a choice. Not give advice. Just think. I'll be back."

And when Artemis turned around, she was already gone.

* * *

The tunnel was dark, and Foaly could feel the moisture seeping into his hooves. Normally this would've irritated him, but this was not water. It was refreshing, in fact, in a strange way. Up ahead there was a corner – and there would probably be many other turns ahead. He could very well get very lost very quickly. Foaly glanced back at the small spot of light that the opening of the tunnel, and then took a deep breath. He turned the corner – and froze.

He'd expected mold, mildew, all sorts of creepy creatures, but what he saw astounded him. Drips of something glowing, something radiant hung from the ceiling. It was red, a deep yet bright ruby color that outshone any gem. Sparse at first, the population of this strange thing grew denser as the light from the office faded, as if it was not suited to grow in light. As Foaly trotted on, he noticed that the growth had turned into spirals of green, less sparkly than the red but still a glistening emerald color. And then, farther into the dark maze sprouted splashes of sea blue, glittering against the tunnel walls like sapphires on a black velvet setting. Foaly stopped suddenly, and realized that he had no idea where he was – there was no light save that of the exotic – plants? Animals? Minerals? And the wall was no longer dirt – it really was like black velvet, clean and refined and even, but smoother, more rigid, as if the entire structure was carved out of a single, colossal piece of onyx. And then further on there were purples, swirls of deep, rich violet, silky amethyst dancing along the cold stone walls. Foaly was mesmerized by the stunning beauty of it all. He wanted to reach out and touch this amazing phenomenon—until he remembered the how deep-sea predators lured prey with lights. He did not want to be eaten – or worse. So instead he trotted on, quickly and a bit unnerved. That is, until he came to the next section of tunnel.

Gold. Silver. The two spun and intertwined, so that there was hardly an empty spot on the walls. Then something stirred in Foaly's mind, and he cantered back to the blue part, hastily, and then back to the gold-and-silver, and he realized where he had seen this before – not the tunnel, but the blue and the gold.

Magic.

* * *

"Holly?"

Minerva. Oh, how she hated that Mud Girl. What was _Minerva _doing here? Holly hoped she'd come closer, so she'd be within reach of Holly's fists. Well, one fist, since her wrist still burned. That was Minerva's doing, too.

"Whaddaya want," Holly snarled.

"I came to … apologize," Minerva purred reassuringly. "I'm so loath about what happened, Holly. Truly, I am. You deserve better than that."

Holly's brows shot up in surprise. She shifted to face Minerva, who was standing in the doorway. "Excuse me?"

"Yes, well, I suppose I can't expect you to forgive me after acting so boorishly. But I need you to know that I never intended for my visit to unfold into such disaster. What happened was uncalled for."

That was pretty much what Holly thought of the situation, too, though Holly had been thinking with more rage and less eloquence. She relaxed – a little bit. She was still suspicious, but the annoying thing was that although Minerva was well within punching range, Holly couldn't bring herself to be mad at someone so sincere and thoughtful…what was she _thinking?_ The D'Arviting Mud Girl almost _killed_ her! And now she was going to let Minerva manipulate her like that?

Minerva straightened from the kneeling stance beside Holly she had smoothly and gradually taken. "I understand if you don't want to talk. Please don't feel like I'm imposing something upon you."

Holly realized that she had not spoken aloud for almost a minute after Minerva apologized. "Oh, uh, yeah …" _Ugh, Holly, you moron! That would've sounded stupid even if you _weren't _talking to a child genius!_

But Minerva didn't seem amused or condescending. "You need time, of course. Please, I don't wish to infringe upon your privacy," she graciously returned. "Someone intelligent as you should be allowed space. But if you want to talk, or scream insults, I'll be available. Thank you for giving me a part of your precious time and attention." Not the slightest hint of sarcasm.

Holly stared in amazement as Minerva glided over the hardwood floor and out of the door. She continued staring even after Minerva was no longer in sight. She had that odd, somewhat misplaced feeling when she was completely at a loss, despite her mind repeatedly informing her of exactly what she should do.

* * *

Foaly took several deep, shaky breaths, and then slowly made his way deeper into the tunnel. This was definitely not normal. He almost wished that the strange swirls were some sort of poisonous plant or jelly. At least that would be _scientific._ But magic… magic was so unpredictable. It made him uncomfortable.

After some time even the gold and silver faded, and the tunnel began to shrink. Foaly was beginning to think that it was going to end when a solid dot of light shone in the air in front of him. Intrigued, he reached out and found something hard apparently inserted into a circular hole in the wall. Pulling it out, he realized that it was in fact a baton-like shape that glowed with a dim white light. As he slid the object out, however, it suddenly became very bright, and the white became stark and harsh. Startled, Foaly dropped the cylinder. It shattered into a million tiny pieces against the tunnel floor and its light slowly dimmed to nothing. In the hole where it used to be was a small indent shining with the same tone of light that the baton had had originally. It was a sharp, irregular shape, and to Foaly's immense surprise his hoof seemed to step on a shard of the exact same outline. He leaned down. Its light was gone when he picked it up, but as it grew closer to the dent it began to flicker feebly.

_Nothing to lose, _Foaly reminded himself. He fitted the splinter to the glowing notch.

* * *

Holly's mind was so painfully open that Minerva felt embarrassed for her. Still, she had effectively confused the elf's simple thought process, and it was finally time to move on to stage two of the plan. It was so atrociously late. Minerva hated being late. And this time, it wasn't her fault.

She wasn't the one who would have to pay.

* * *

_A/N: Yes, I have not updated for a criminally long time. Yes, this chapter is boring. Yes, I'm sorry. No, I will not barrage you with my plethora of excuses. Because I wouldn't really care about my personal life either. _

_But I really am sorry._

_On the bright side, I had the opportunity to read The Atlantis Complex, so that will definitely be integrated here._

_Thanks for bearing with me. I guess this is the place where I'd ask for a review, but that's not really my style. I'd love reviews, but no pressure._


	10. History's Haven

_Holly's mind was so painfully open that Minerva felt embarrassed for her. Still, she had effectively confused the elf's simple thought process, and it was finally time to move on to stage two of the plan. It was so atrociously late. Minerva hated being late. And this time, it wasn't her fault._

_She wasn't the one who would have to pay._

* * *

Chapter 10

Artemis had taken Minerva's advice and was doing what he did best – think.

Calm. Objective. Logical. Think.

Firstly, Holly's appearance and interference. Was that premeditated? Probably not. Holly seemed no more than an unexpected variable in this equation. Minerva didn't plan for her arrival, and neither did Artemis. What about the LEP? Since all contact had been cut off from the outside world, the fairy police was not an immediate factor. And though Holly's actions have caused some dramatic consequences, they didn't really affect the situation at large. _Always keep the greater circumstances in mind. _It was all too easy to be distracted by a diversion – Artemis had used to technique himself many times, successfully. At the moment, his main focus was on Minerva, with Holly after and Butler on the side. Artemis checked the status in the infirmary. Butler was still unconscious, but his vitals were strong. Minerva's doing, most likely. He could only trust that Butler would be fine on his own for now.

Artemis massaged his temples. He halfheartedly tapped at the keyboard, wondering how much Foaly and the LEP knew about the situation. For all he knew, the Manor could be at siege at this very moment. It was so very frustrating to lose control of the system that had taken him years to establish and refine.

For a moment, his mind flickered to Minerva's offer. It was tempting, yes. It was most certainly tempting.

* * *

Foaly didn't think that his head could take much more. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw that the room that he had been yet again mysteriously transported to was an impossible work of art. Constructed of something clear and refractive, the whole place looked like something out of a fairy tale, some place of snow and ice, or a glass palace. Despite the place's transparency, however, it was impossible to look outside. There was some powerful light source ceaselessly bearing down upon the splendor through the enormous domed roof. And along the perfect circle of wall there was some sort of engraving, rendering it nearly opaque. The floor was etched with swirls and patterns, which seemed to shift with every step. The whole room seemed fluid and moving on a dimensional level, so that Foaly was certain of its progress but unable to point to any specific detail as proof. There was no stable point of comparison to determine depth or height. It would be all too easy to lose track of time and space.

The bizarre slide had been sealed off by the glass – the only section without engraving – and he could see the darkness beyond, though the adorned walls were more likely to give him information. He wobbled himself upright and investigated.

Foaly quickly noticed that these weren't simple decorations. There were no words or pictures, but instead an intricate weave of patterns and runes. They mirrored the movement of the floor, but not exactly, as if they were reacting rather than copying. As if the designs were dancing. Before he could think about, it Foaly ran his fingers over the wall.

Flash. Black. Screams. Blood. An elf falls off of his horse.

Flash. A couple kisses under a flowered arch. The audience applauds

Flash. An owl is shot. She shrieks once.

Flash. A burning book.

Foaly's eyes flew open to find himself standing, staring at the wall, four fingertips pressed onto different icons. He jerked his hand away, but his naturally curious character drew him back. He reached out a finger tentatively, resting it on a single rune.

Flash. Black. A sprite, dressed in coarse wool, is in a forest, brushing away the dirt to reveal a clay tablet. She writes something, and then replaces it. She stands, and suddenly an arrow slices through her heart. The archer drops from the trees, takes the tablet, and runs off.

It was a moment before Foaly realized that he was back. And that scene was oddly familiar. He racked his mind. Of course! It was the assassination of Grentir's best spy during the Dasnian Wars. Codenamed Myrtle, the sprite had nearly singe-handedly brought down the Japa Empire before being shot by a spy from the Usa state. At least, that was what the istorians deciphered from the clay tablets in the tomb of the 15000-year-old spymaster.

But why was this triggered by touching the engraving? Foaly noticed a carved strand running through this pictogram and connecting it to others. He followed this line and touched another rune on it.

Flash. Black. A pendant shaped like a sword is draped on the soldiers of an elf in armor. He puts his arm across his chest, ending in a fist. "I do solemnly swear," he intones, "to protect and prosper my country and lord King to the very utmost of my ability, to the point of death. May the thunders of heaven strike me to hell should I fail to uphold any point of this oath taken in most righteous circumstance." Before he could be anointed with the royal leaf and oil, however, he snaps the pendant off of the necklace and, with a flick of his wrist, sends it through his lord King's throat. He seizes his lady Queen unceremoniously around the waist and runs off. The stunned court takes a moment to digest that, and then there are guards running after the kidnapper and murderer while medics tend to the King.

Foaly could not recall learning this one, but he thought, by the clothing and behavior, that it ad probably happened some 12000 years ago. Interesting. What if he strayed off of the strand that had connected the two icons as well as many others in between? He selected a complex carving and touched it.

Flash. Black. A whale is grounded on a beach. It groans and spasms, breathing labrioousy and twists in agony –

Foaly forced his eyes open. He did not want to watch any longer. He got the gist of the organization of the runes: they were pieces of history, and the individual liens seemed to represent the different species.

After some trial and error, he managed to locate the strand of human history. It was surprisingly close to the one of fairies. In fact, after following the two around the room for a while, he noticed intersections - human history and fairy history meeting. He was treated to the story of a certain sprite in Ho Mingh City who had managed to find a way of summoning short spurts of magic at a time. A few steps forward, and the strands of Mud and People crossed again. This must be Artemis. Foaly was about to dive in when he lighted on an idea. He trotted over to the last place where the strands meet, vaguely registering the fact that he no longer knew where he had landed and begun experiencing history. He braced himself and touched the symbol at the intersection.

Nothing happened. There was no flash, no sudden journey into the back story of Minerva's transformation. Instead, there was a faint tinkling from the center of the room behind Foaly. He had avoided looking in the center due to the blinding light. But now that had dimmed to a glow, and Foaly saw something so spectacular that he was incredulous he hadn't noticed it earlier.

A fountain. A vast clear pool gave rise to a single, exquisite stream of liquid that blossomed into crystalline particles before flying back down. The base seemed to melt into the ground, and at its nexus the fountain made shapes sometimes, as if it were musing to itself. Foaly moved toward it, slowly and erratically, not quite believing what he was seeing. As he walked closer, he realized that the fountain was not one of water, but something more alive and seemingly sentient. The cascading needle of soaring liquid seemed to acknowledge him. Now more wary about what he touched, Foaly leaned over to watch the liquid inside the fountain, trying to decide what it was. A droplet of it landed on his shoulder, drawing his attention to his right. The fountain was telling him to watch what happened next.

At first it was a small fleck from a low spot on the wall. It floated lazily, much like a snowflake carried on an errant breeze. As it twirled by, Foaly noticed that it was in fact a rune from the engraving. It lighted onto the surface of the pool, and stayed there, floating. Another rune came by, then two, then ten, then more, as the torrent of arrivals increased in both quantity and speed. A whirling helix of runes peeled off of the wall and wound themselves neatly around the jet of still-flowing fountain in the center. They formed a sheet of opaque white over the pool, much like ice on a frozen pond, though purer and smoother.

When the pool was completely blanketed by white, the fountain paused and for a moment everything was still. Then a bubble of liquid appeared at the heart, slowly drawing in the white expanse into itself. Miraculously, the bubble did not expand though it pulled in far more than it seemed to be able to hold. Once again the pool was clear, and the bubble was completely opaque.

Foaly leaned forward in curiosity. What could possibly happen next?

A terrible crack resonated from deep within the fountain, throwing him back. The stream of propelled liquid broke through the bubble and soared, higher than ever. Once the initial surge was finished, the fountain calmed and Foaly could make out a small sliver floating on top of the flow that seemed a bit stiff, out of place.

As if sensing his notice, the shard dropped out of the gush, swimming towards Foaly. As it bobbed to a halt on the edge of the fountain where Foaly was standing, he realized that it was actually a translucent computer chip. Intrigued, he fished it out. It was cold as ice, but never melting.

Somehow Foaly managed to collect himself enough to realize that this was the condensed product of everything that had been extracted from the runes. Trotting over to the walls, he noticed that everything was intact. _Copying,_ he thought. _This chip holds a copy of the history of – of…_

He realized that he didn't really know what exactly this was a history of. Of the world? Of civilization? It was certainly more ancient than fairy history. Why was this bestowed upon him?

He looked back at the fountain, looking for answers. In place of the vertical jet of liquid there was a hole. He walked to the side of the fountain. It was as if the liquid were being boiled – there was mist swirling around the center of the pool, which appeared to be dry. As the hole expanded, however, Foaly realized that there was a portal-like exit expanding in the pool. It was similar to the crystal slide that had brought him here in the first place. Speaking of which, that exit was nowhere to be found.

_This whole day has been like a dream, _he thought. _And if it's a dream, well, I've got nothing to lose._

Bracing himself, Foaly jumped into the fountain.

* * *

_A/N: I'm a bit in between plotlines right now ... so it'd be very helpful if you could say A) what you would logically expect next and B) the gist of what you understand (you know when you have something that makes sense in your head?). Thanks for bearing with me._


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